episode_0151

“Ugh….”

How did it end up like this?

I thought we would just have a light meal and part ways.

“Ahahaha!!! So, let me tell you, we….”

“They’re still fighting on that side with the two clans? Wow, those guys haven’t changed!!!”

“Oh, there’s something like this on the 8th floor….”

“When shooting an arrow….”

The campsite had turned into a lively scene before we knew it.

The alcohol brought by the Spirit User party and the reasonably fresh food from our party combined, creating a drinking party within the labyrinth.

I hadn’t originally expected this situation to unfold.

However. Jack, who is very sociable, got into various conversations and quickly became close with the Spirit User party, reaching a point where they were sharing their bottled-up feelings, calling each other ‘hyung’ and ‘dongsaeng’.

One warrior in the Spirit User party happened to have alcohol that they legally? carried around, and somehow we ended up drinking it together. I heard they were someone who had to drink a certain amount of alcohol daily.

Well, in any case, explorers are the kind of people whose tension rises whenever there’s alcohol. As their tension rose, they became close remarkably fast, which I found quite surprising.

It wasn’t that I disliked it, and it was good because we could gain some useful information.

“Just like other floors, the 8th floor has terrain advantageous for hunting. And the large clans fight and control those areas constantly!!”

“…I see.”

It wasn’t simple information about the 8th floor’s environment or terrain that could be obtained somehow.

We were able to get real-time information about what was happening on the 8th floor *right now*.

The reason they shared this information so easily was probably partly because we were explorers on the 8th floor.

But perhaps it was also because they met people they could empathize with.

“Parties like ours have no choice but to hunt enhanced monsters like this, which carries a risk, outside the controlled areas.”

Their voices sounded like they were complaining about an unfair situation.

Certainly, a party made up of just one team like ours is pushed around not only by large clans but also by small-to-medium sized ones.

As I listened to the Spirit User’s resentful voice, backbiting the large clans that controlled areas with large numbers of weakened monsters, I felt my own anger boiling up inside.

“I didn’t know this kind of thing happened on the 8th floor.”

“Isn’t the Orc’s Holy Land similar?”

“Does that mean the 8th floor is the floor with the most high-level explorers?”

“We did go up to the 9th floor, but, well. I want to tell you it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Even as 9th floor explorers, we hunt on the 8th floor. Those of us who are just at the beginning of the 9th floor often come down to the 8th floor.”

I see the explorer pass hanging around the Spirit User’s neck.

A gold explorer pass with 3 lines.

One line is the 7th floor, two lines are the 8th floor. So three lines means the 9th floor.

No wonder I thought their skill was quite good; it makes sense now that they are 9th floor explorers.

“If the 8th floor is difficult, wouldn’t hunting on the 7th floor be okay?”

“We don’t know about that. As you know, the 7th floor changes size every time, and the visibility is so narrow and sounds echo, making it difficult for Guides to operate.”

“…Is that so?”

Grace didn’t say much about it, so I didn’t know, but I can’t believe the 7th floor was a difficult place for Guides to work.

It’s obvious which is better for detection, a wide-open field or a cave.

“Unfortunately, our party’s Guide is more focused on combat power. So, they’re like poison in places like those caves.”

This is another problem.

The reason most explorers eventually have no choice but to join a clan.

Explorers who are good at both combat power and guiding skills are extremely rare.

Even Grace in our current party, while the weakest among the six of us, the fact that she can keep up at the same tempo is remarkable in itself.

Compared to others, she’s missing about 2 or, at most, 3 usable cards.

But if you operate at a clan level, with 10, 20, or more people.

You can lower the ratio, for example, having 1 Guide among 20 people instead of 1 among 5.

Also, you can use specialized Guides who invested all 7 cards into guiding abilities rather than combat, making it much more efficient.

That’s why the proportion of explorers joining clans increases as you go higher up.

“Then why didn’t you join a clan?”

“Well, similar to you. We are in a position of leading a clan.”

“Ah.”

Having a clan, but not having many clan members capable of tackling higher floors.

It happens more often than you might think.

Just like people in Korea hope for a large corporation rather than a small or medium-sized one.

If an 8th floor explorer is looking for a clan? It’s natural they would apply to a truly large clan.

Our clan, which has enormous recognition thanks to me, is an exception; it’s actually hard for such small clans to find explorers on the same floor.

“Even now, our clan is made up of 5th floor explorers. It’s similar to the feeling of your clan, Ivan.”

“And you, the Clan Master, came up to higher floors to earn money?”

“Exactly. Our clan needs to start looking towards the 6th or maybe even the 7th floor.”

The more we talked, the more I felt that our situations were similar.

As a sense of inner closeness gradually built up,

time began to pass quickly.

*

After an unusual, casual drinking party within the labyrinth.

The two parties agreed to take a break they hadn’t had in a while.

They would take turns on watch, sleep, and after waking up, head their separate ways.

Following the advice of the Spirit User, Tobun, we slowly advanced towards the opposite side of where the large clans were said to be.

“Jack, but you didn’t know that kind of thing happens? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“No, last time they were fighting on a different side!”

“They must be famous clans.”

“As you heard yesterday, there are about 5 or 6 large clans on the 8th floor, and the problem is they constantly clash unless one or two of them are outside the labyrinth. In my opinion, they might even kill each other someday.”

“No way.”

“Of course, no way. The Knight of the 8th floor is always dispatched to mediate between the clans. It’s probably the most stressful job among the Knights dispatched to the labyrinth.”

Just hearing about it makes me feel drained.

I’ve seen the labyrinth from the 1st floor to the 7th floor so far, and I’ve never heard of such severe conflict between explorer parties at the clan level.

Of course, I did hear that the 3rd floor’s Orc’s Holy Land was a bit like this, but it didn’t really resonate with me because we didn’t hunt there much.

“Well, it’s best to avoid getting involved as much as possible, right?”

“Naturally.”

Since minimizing clashes between explorers is always preferable.

We trusted Grace’s senses and advanced slowly.

However, at a certain point, a swamp blocked our path.

“I don’t see anywhere we can go around? There are plenty of monsters in the water.”

“I’ll make a path.”

As usual, using terrain manipulation, I calmly created a path and crossed the swamp.

Next, a small mangrove forest awaited us.

Using the remaining terrain manipulation, I created a suitable path and headed towards the top of the forest.

As we were about to walk across the top, we spotted a group of monsters in the distance and approached.

“Mud golems, maybe? They’ve absorbed so much water they’ve become mud golems.”

Jack said with a grin, preparing his sword and shield.

Meaning they were opponents worth fighting.

“There are quite a few this time, so it’ll be rewarding to hunt them, won’t it?”

“Let’s go.”

I quickly used the card in my hand.

[Rock Barrage]

It wasn’t an attack that would hit the mud golems perfectly, but among the cards I could use to attack first from a distance, this was the best.

Rocks quickly generated behind me flew towards the mud golems, and the rest of the party members quickly rushed forward.

But then, a large hole appeared in the head of one of the mud golems.

Immediately, the rock I threw crushed one mud golem, taking it down.

『Combat begins. Draw 4 cards.』

『Energy 5/5』

『Joker Card – Draw 1 designated card additionally on the first turn.』

[Rupture (4)] [Ignition (0)] [Darkness (1)] [Lightning (3)] + [Terrain Manipulation (3)]

As the combat assessment began, other explorers started to appear in my sight.

However, our vanguard was slightly faster.

Both parties paused, momentarily startled.

However, Grace and Jack, who were quick to assess the situation, quickly began to deal with the golems in front of them.

The explorers on the opposite side finally snapped out of it and began to take down the mud golems.

Nothing is fixed, but usually when multiple explorers attack a monster simultaneously. The one who defeats it first claims it.

Of course, this is when paths accidentally overlap, not when someone is stealing kills.

I immediately prepared to use a card to help.

However, due to the chaotic situation on the battlefield with allies and other explorers mixed together, using magic was quite awkward.

Looking beside me, Cairek was in a similar situation.

Our party members could anticipate movements or had practiced plays allowing them to shoot arrows, but it was difficult to shoot arrows in a situation where other people were mixed in.

Especially since Cairek’s precision wasn’t at that level yet.

“…Let’s go down.”

“Understood!”

By the time Cairek and I descended from the top of the forest and approached where the monsters were, the situation was already over.

“We caught this one!!!”

“Our archer probably killed it halfway!!”

The monster cleanup was already finished, and explorers were talking about who caught what and the rewards with Grace.

Looking closely, the party on the other side consisted of 5 people, a typical party setup.

They probably spotted these monsters from a distance and attacked, getting entangled.

Well, in this situation, they could just take what they caught and give up or yield what they slightly missed out on and move on.

But of all things….

“This gold card is ours!!”

“We took it down, what are you talking about?!”

One of the monsters whose attacks overlapped happened to drop a gold card of high value.

Seriously, it usually doesn’t drop, but it only comes out in situations like this.

Of course, most of the monsters were hit by arrows from the other party to start with, but since only a few magic stones came out, they didn’t seem interested in those.

If this gold card hadn’t appeared, we would have just split it half and half and parted ways.

But causing a bloodbath was absolutely to be avoided in this situation.

In this situation, as expected….

“Let’s roll the dice.”

Grace yielded first.

If you insist so much, I’ll back down this once.

Normally, our side, who got the last hit, would have a much higher claim.

“How can we trust that?! What if you tampered with the dice? And you next to her!! Aren’t you Jack the Gambler?!!”

“Ah.”

Of all things, the reasonable method was eliminated by Jack’s presence.

Does that mean we have to resort to a bloodbath after all?

But fortunately, they didn’t seem to want that either.

“If you pay half the value of the gold card, we’ll hand it over to you.”

“That amount of money….”

I feel like things are starting to turn against us because of Jack.

I immediately stepped between them.

“You are…?”

“I am the party leader. Are you the leader of that party?”

“…Yes. A purple robe, are you the Magic Tower Master’s disciple?”

“You seem to know me.”

“It would be strange not to.”

Have I become so famous that even passing explorers recognize me now?

It’s a feeling that’s neither good nor bad.

Well, anyway, that’s not important.

“I was willing to compromise a bit on rolling the dice, but you’re being too arbitrary. Doesn’t the person who finished off the monster get to take it?”

“Then would you also claim that explorers who attack and claim ownership of monsters already mostly caught by others are correct? I haven’t heard that the Magic Tower Master’s disciple is such a person?”

“If it’s about proportion…”

“The arrow our archer shot took off 20% of the mud golem’s head. Can you fight after 20% of your head is gone? You could say our side has a higher proportion.”

“…….”

Perhaps it’s because of the value of the gold card, which is worth the price of a cheap house.

They absolutely don’t seem willing to yield.

Do we have no choice but to split it half and half?

But I somehow don’t want to do that.

Just as my rebellious feelings were about to surge up.

Suddenly, Grace flinched!

“…Just a moment.”

She suddenly started sniffing the air.

The other explorers looking at her seemed to think she was trying some trick.

But their Guide’s expression suddenly hardened as well.

“W-what’s happening….”

Seeing everyone panicking.

Tension also rose in my body.

Just as I was about to prepare cards to respond.

I noticed the 5 cards still in my hand.

[Rupture (4)] [Ignition (0)] [Darkness (1)] [Lightning (3)] [Terrain Manipulation (3)]

Huh? Why is my hand the same?

Could it be….

『Until next draw: 0』

Has the combat situation not ended yet?

I didn’t even realize, even though the reward window didn’t announce victory.

While reflecting on my carelessness and scanning the surroundings.

The gold card changed its appearance.

“It’s a mimic!!!”

“It wasn’t a card…?!!”

Instantly, the gold card transformed into the shape of a Sunrise Flower and attempted to attack by spreading vines in all directions.

Simultaneously, the surrounding environment began to change.

Some of the trees in the mangrove forest stood up and began to walk.

A hill made of stone rose up on two feet.

The small bushes in the surroundings also revealed their true forms.

This place was filled with mimics everywhere.

We could immediately realize one single fact.

“It’s a, a trap!!!”

This place was where mimics had set a trap using weakened monsters.